AirAsia’s inaugural flight between Lombok and Perth touched down this evening 9th of June, kicking off a new four times weekly service between Australia and Indonesia.

The undiscovered paradise of Lombok, which is being hailed as ‘the new Bali’ is set to become a thriving tourist destination for many Australians.

AirAsia Indonesia CEO Dendy Kurniawan said, “We’re proud to further grow our connectivity between Australia and Indonesia and in doing so provide great value fares and more opportunities for Australians and Indonesians to fly.

“Today’s inaugural flight also realizes the potential of our new Lombok hub, introducing healthy competition for the region and an additional option to much-loved Bali. Blissful beaches, top surfing and dive sites, and picturesque mountains are now easily accessible for Australians and I encourage those looking to book their next holiday to consider Lombok.

AirAsia will further boost local tourism on the island of Lombok with a number of post-earthquake recovery initiatives and new flights between Lombok and Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Yogyakarta, and Bali which are set to take off soon.

“We look forward to working with the local tourism authorities and airport operators to make this new route a success.”

Perth Airport CEO Kevin Brown said the new service consolidates AirAsia’s position in the Perth market by adding more than 74,000 seats annually.

“AirAsia has been in the vanguard of a low-cost carrier revolution that has delivered more affordable and accessible travel options for many Western Australians,” Mr. Brown said.

“Western Australians have a great propensity for travel and Indonesia represents Perth Airport’s largest outbound market as it offers an easily accessible and attractive destination for travelers.

“This new service also provides an opportunity to grow the Indonesian inbound tourism market for Perth and Western Australia.

“Indonesia is Western Australia’s eighth largest visitor market and just last year, we welcomed 31,000 Indonesian visitors, injecting more than $56 million into the WA economy.”

Fares between Perth and Lombok start at $99 one way.

AirAsia operates 25 flights per week between Perth, Australia and Indonesia, which includes Bali, and Lombok.